Working from home has many benefits. For starters, you’ll notice that you spend far less money on transportation. That’s pretty natural, considering you no longer have to commute to and from work. You can also save money by making your lunch every day rather than buying it. Again, when you’re at home all the time it’s just easier. But there is one bill that will go up once you start working from home. Previously, you were out of the house for eight, nine, ten hours a day. All the lights were off, appliances weren’t running — generally, you used very little electricity. But now that you’re home all the time, you’re using much more.

There are two ways to look at this issue. The first is the hands-off method. The savings you realize in transportation and food more than offset the increase in your electric bill, right? So you can leave well enough alone and still come out ahead. But for some of us, that’s just not enough. We want to knock down that bill as far as it will go and help save money on a recurring and often unpredictable cost. Thankfully, there are many ways to accomplish this. All it takes is a little work and some savvy.

Cutting big things

If you can cut down on the biggest power draws, you stand to save the most money. Unfortunately, it’s tough to cut out your refrigerator, stove, air conditioning, heat, and the other large culprits on your electricity bill. Your computer, too draws a significant amount of power from the wall. Yet all of these things are essential to any comfortable living environment. Here are a few ways to cut down on their usage.Watch TV on a tablet. Many cable companies offer apps that allow you to watch live TV, from within your home, on your tablet. Alternatively, there is Slingbox, which lets you watch your TV anywhere. A tablet uses far less power than your TV, even considering that you have to recharge it. That goes even further if you use a console, such as PlayStation 3, to watch Netflix. Using a tablet is just far more energy efficient.Seal your windows. It’s amazing how much hot and cold air can escape through the tiniest leak in your windows. It might seem like no big deal, but when you see the difference in your electricity bill you’ll be singing another tune. If you own your home, you can seal them yourself — there are many online guides — or you can find a contractor who will do it. If you rent, speak to your building superintendent.Upgrade your thermostat. You don’t need your central air conditioning running all day. You can cycle it on and off and still retain a comfortable working environment. An automated thermostat can take care of that. It also allows you to use less energy while you are away from the house — while still cooling or heating it to a comfortable level before you return.Soon enough, thanks to the growing number of energy efficiency companies, we’ll have even more choices for cutting high-end power costs. But until then, we have to work with what’s given us. If you can cut down in these ways, you’ll see a nice dip in your electricity bill. But that’s not all you can do.

On the fringes

While the above will help you keep the big power items under control, there are measures you can take that will cut smaller bits off your bill. Some of them require you to spend some money, or make some effort, in order to save in the long run. But they’re all worth the trouble.CFL bulbs. Environmentalists have been touting CFL lightbulbs for years and years now, so this is nothing new. But it’s still a big way to save money. Not only do CFL bulbs draw less energy, but they last far longer than incandescent bulbs — I’ve been in my current apartment for 18 months and we haven’t yet replaced a lightbulb.Unplug gadgets. Did you know that even when they’re not on, your gadgets still draw power if they’re plugged in? When your cell phone is all charged up, unplug not only the phone, but the charger. Not using the toaster? Unplug it. It’ll save you just a little every month.Shut the blinds. This works in the summer months, when the sun coming through the windows can heat up your home and force the AC to work harder. It stinks being in the dark, but the trade-off is worth it.Turn off the second monitor. Yeah, having a second monitor leads to greater productivity. I don’t know of many work-at -home types who don’t have at least two monitors. During working hours that’s fine, but your monitor does draw a lot of power. After working hours, turn it off. Chances are you don’t need the second monitor for non-work matters, anyway.If you employ all of these tips, chances are you’ll be astounded when you see your next energy bill. Even if you employ some of them, you’ll notice a difference. That’s all the more welcome for work-from-home types, since they use more power than their office-dwelling counterparts. It’s a great feeling, too. You’re not only spending less on food and transportation than others, but you’ll end up spending less on electricity, too.